How to get rid of sow thistle on the site forever. Methods of dealing with sow-thistle at their summer cottage

Wheatgrass and thistle are two hard-to-fight weeds. Of course, the surest option is this. But not every site owner wants to deal with chemistry. Here folk remedies come into battle, which sometimes are in no way inferior to chemical treatments. You can completely get rid of sow thistle and wheatgrass with the help of green fertilizers and improvised materials.

Folk remedies for weed control

Immediately, we note that you should not sprinkle the area with salt, fill it with vinegar, vodka, light fires and burn plants blowtorch, and also generously water the soil with boiling water. So you can get rid of wheatgrass with sow-thistle at once, and ditch the soil.

Take care of the soil - it is better to use sparing and even beneficial methods for the soil - sowing green manure and mulching. These products are suitable for the control of both thistle and wheatgrass.

Combating wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is a tenacious weed, capable of completely restoring vegetative mass even from a root particle 1 cm long. It wakes up very early - sometimes the next day after the snow melts, the sharp tops of its leaves are already visible.

It is much easier to prevent the appearance of wheatgrass in the garden at all than to get rid of it later. Do not let wheatgrass on the site - each time you dig the soil, select all its parts.

Thistle control

Sow thistle is no less tenacious. Removing this plant from the site is usually fairly straightforward, but it returns quickly and easily. Each time in the same place the sow thist appears again and again, forms a powerful, woody aboveground mass and absorbs a huge amount of moisture and nutrients from the soil, thereby oppressing cultivated plants.

Useful properties of sow thistle and wheatgrass

Surprisingly, the weeds - sow thistle and wheatgrass - are also useful, medicinal properties... For example, decoctions and infusions of wheatgrass are used to treat metabolic disorders, as a diaphoretic and expectorant, and decoctions and infusions of sow thistle are used as a tonic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent.

How else you can usefully apply garden weeds, read in the articles:


How to get rid of weeds

Of course, if the wheatgrass or sow thistle is small, then you can simply weed the weeds periodically, trying to remove with the maximum part of the roots, in no case to prevent the formation of seeds. And then in a few years these weeds will disappear. But this is a very long time. The use of mulch and green fertilizers - siderates - on the site will allow you to quickly and easily get rid of weeds, and protect and fertilize the soil.

Weed siderata

You can get rid of wheatgrass and sow thistle much faster by sowing green manure crops: mustard, lupine, phacelia, buckwheat, rapeseed, clover, rye and peas.
Usually green manure grasses are sown after digging the soil a month before planting. cultivated plants or on steaming ground.

Siderata actively grow and "choke" the weeds. Well, if they are then embedded in the soil, then you will, among other things, enrich it with nutrients.

Read more about the benefits and conditions of using green manure on the site in the articles:


Weed mulch

A layer of mulch will also help rid the soil of both sow thistle and wheatgrass. Moreover, it is not necessary to purchase an expensive non-woven covering material. You can use the means at hand.

Any gardener can confidently say that weed control is one of the most difficult, because it requires not only a tremendous investment of time, but also nerves and financial capabilities.

This is especially true of the most "harmful" weeds, which, in principle, penetrate with their existence and presence in the garden - sow thistle. This representative of the Aster family takes deep roots deep into the earth, due to high degree vegetative propagation establishes its own root system and begins to terrorize nearby plants. To get rid of sow thistle in your own garden, let's be honest, is impossible. However, due to the correctly chosen farming tactics and weed control, you can get efficiency in the fight against sow thistle.

Quite a pretty outwardly flower: oblong prickly toothed leaves and yellow inflorescences on the crown of a straight stem can boast a very powerful root system, which is the whole power of a sow thistle. The rhizome grows up to 1 m deep, rooting firmly in the ground.

Let's first figure out why we need to get rid of this herb? Based on the above, the sow thistle has a powerful root system, which, due to spreading, absorbs all vitamins, fertilizers, minerals from neighboring plants from the soil. Simply put, sow thistle depletes the soil. Consequently, all vegetable crops growing on the site will be deprived of nutrients, the fruits will not grow, remaining small and sick. Leaving the sow thistle unattended, you can count on its aggressiveness, due to which it will simply displace the rest beneficial crops... As a result, there is no need to wait for the harvest.

True, separate sown areas are specially allocated for sowing sow thistle. Quite a logical question, why? First of all, the essence of sow thistle lies in its taste, which is highly appreciated by livestock. This plant is used for feeding cattle. Although some people prefer to eat thistle, the mixture is added to salads, casseroles, and cabbage soup. At the same time, yellow flowers of a sow thistle stand in a vase for a long period, simply pleasing the eye.

It would be illogical enough not to mention medicinal properties of this plant. Decoctions and tinctures of sow thistle are used against worms, are used as a haemostatic and antiseptic agent. For some thistles it is recommended for eating in cases with complications of gastrointestinal diseases.

Chemical treatment of the site

Having received an idea of ​​what a sow thistle is, about its benefits and harms, you can proceed to the most important thing - the need to process the site of its sowing. Most summer residents wonder how to cultivate the soil against weeds. In the case when the land on which the weed grows has not passed the test for refinement, then vegetable crops will not grow on it. In this situation, it is simply necessary to subject the soil to chemical treatment. This procedure is extremely effective, although it is not devoid of aggressiveness. After this treatment, you will need to wait at least one season to plant vegetables on cleaned soil.

V this moment you can buy chemicals for chemical treatment in almost any specialty store. The most common are powerful herbicides such as Roundup, Tornado, Arsenal. Chemical treatments are planned in advance for days when there is no expected rainfall. Pre- and post-treatment rainfall should not be predicted. During processing, it is worth taking care of the protection of the hands based on rubber gloves, and for safety reasons, keep pets out of the garden for at least a day.

Is it possible to breed a sow thistle manually

In the case when the thistle is adjacent to potatoes, carrots, beets and other vegetables, it should be cleaned by hand. Unfortunately, this will not work the first time, however, due to the regularity of actions and patience, you can clear the garden of the most annoying weed. How is it?

  1. Closing the season in the fall, as soon as frosts begin to occur, it is worth digging up the ground and, if possible, pulling out all the available sow thistle roots. This should be done with the utmost care - without shaking the grass so that the seeds do not fall off. Next, you need to fold the plants and destroy them in compost pit... Never leave roots uprooted from the ground on the site - their ease of engraftment is amazing!
  2. As soon as they dug up the earth, do not rush to loosen and level it. In this case, the fallen seeds will completely enter the ground and germinate in the spring. When they remain on the surface, they will have a chance to freeze from frost, therefore, there will be a real chance to save their own garden from a wide number of weeds.
  3. In the spring, it is extremely important to clear the garden by hand, pulling out all the weeds, while they are still young and not strong enough. In the case when the root "matures", the procedure will be much more difficult.
  4. Getting rid of sow thistles cannot be done without periodically weeding the garden about twice a month. By doing this on a regular basis, the plant runs the risk of depletion, and therefore every chance of death.
  5. Exists efficient way protecting your garden from sow thistle and other types of weeds. Having bought a special agrofilm, you will need to cover the soil with it. It is this film that has special holes that allow plants to grow. The rest of the weeds, including sow thistle, suffocate without oxygen and sunlight, and then die.

Mechanical manual weed control will allow a positive outcome in 70-80% of cases. By carrying out work regularly, it is highly likely to completely get rid of the sow thistle.

Folk remedies for getting rid of sow thistle

Let's use the advice of experienced gardeners who will help get rid of sow thistle on the basis of improvised means.

  1. Extremely effective remedy kerosene is considered against sow thistle. They should spray weeds pointwise so that they do not have time to harm all vegetable crops. This usually eliminates the unwanted crop the first time.
  2. Mulching helps to get rid of sow thistle. Mulch is a thick layer of sawdust or other dense material that covers the soil. Usually sow thistles are not able to break through the mulch. If he does find his way, he must be weeded out immediately.
  3. To eliminate sow thistle from the site, you can resort to green manure. For those who are not in the know, green manures are plants that are planted to improve the condition of the soil and its enrichment. The fight against thistle is better with legumes, alfalfa, nettle, lupine, rye. Any of the selected crops is planted in places where the shoots are most active. Having harvested a crop (say, peas), all the soil is covered plastic wrap... Such a blanket remains until spring: you can be sure that none of the weeds will survive. All the grass that is roiling under the film will rot, while saturating the soil with fertilizers and fertilizers.
  4. Relying on the opinion of experienced gardeners, it is worth understanding that most weeds are not capable of withstanding pruning. If you periodically cut the sow thistle to the very top once a week, then it can gradually die. In the future, he will not be able to grow in this area. This fact allows us to speak about efficiency when pulling out the weed stem. In addition, periodic pruning will help ensure a smooth, beautiful lawn.
  5. It may sound strange, but sow thistle is practically unable to get along with wheat. To get rid of weeds, you need to dig up the ground in spring, get rid of all the remnants of the roots and after that wheat on the plot. It is wheat that will allow you to quickly cope with the weed.
  6. It is possible to cope with thistle and its subsequent appearance thanks to ammonia. This can be done on the basis of 5-7 bottles of ammonia by spraying this solution into the soil and growing weeds. After some time, you can see that the plant withers, and then dies. A similar effect can be achieved with ammonia. ammonia... Don't forget to wear gloves and a mask. It is necessary to carry out spot treatment so that the poison does not touch fertile crops.

As a result, it is worth noting that, thanks to the right measures to combat sow thistle, you can completely get rid of it. Not every amateur gardener is able to cope with the complexity of the spread of sow thistle with his own efforts. However, there is no need to fear the decision to destroy it. Mechanical by hand the process will turn out to be quite lengthy and protracted, but only with an effort can you count on a positive result.

Most gardeners try to solve the problem on their own, but without experience and knowledge, it is difficult to oppose something to the rapid spread of the weed.

We have proposed a certain set of measures on the basis of which you can get rid of sow thistle and stop the expansion of weeds in your garden. Thus, you will get not only a clean field, but also high yield rates.

We hope that this article will be useful for novice gardeners. Now is the time to put this knowledge into practice and stop settling sedges on your site.

For more information on the possible removal of sow thistle, see here:

Sow thistle is a member of the Aster family. However, this plant is a weed that causes a lot of inconvenience to summer residents and gardeners. Fighting sow thistle is not easy, it takes a lot of time and effort.

Outwardly, the plant is a pretty yellow flower. Its spiny leaves with a jagged edge are oblong in shape. Big problem represents exactly the root system possessed by this weed. It is incredibly powerful, it can go up to a meter into the ground. It is almost impossible to uproot the sow thistle completely. In addition, it reproduces with the help of root suckers.

Sow thistle

Sow thistle grown on a bed quickly spreads in all directions over a large area.

This weed belongs to annual plants however, this does not make it more harmless. It grows so easily: you can find this plant on almost all continents of the world. For him, the type of soil or its density does not matter at all, he will take root everywhere, even where other plants die. In addition, sow thistle is absolutely not picky about climatic conditions, tolerates both cold and heat.

Therefore, it is important to understand in time how to deal with a thistle-thistle in order to save your summer cottage from it.


Ways to fight
If you notice a sow thistle on your land, you need to take urgent action. The fight should start with weakening the root system of the plant. This is the only way to completely eliminate this weed.

Sow thistle root structure

There are two ways to get rid of the plant:

Chemical. Using special preparations;
Mechanical. Resorting only to the help of agricultural implements.

Choosing for yourself chemical method, it is necessary to find suitable drugs. Herbicides are very popular. However, their use has its drawbacks.

They are great for uncultivated plots of land, before planting appeared there. This is due to the fact that herbicides are toxic substances... They kill the weed, but at the same time they poison the soil, and therefore the rest of the plants planted on it. The fruits collected from such plantings should not be eaten.


After processing the site, it is necessary to allow the substances to erode, and only after that plant crops.

Precautions must also be taken when handling drugs to avoid poisoning or burns. When spraying the plant with herbicides, use protective gloves. It is best to wear a respirator, goggles and heavy clothing before handling.

If the garden has already been planted, it is better to use more safe ways control of thistle. The most popular folk remedy is spraying the weed with kerosene. Spray the substance very carefully so as not to affect useful landings... In this situation, the weed will quickly die, and garden crops will not be hurt.


Weed control with other plants
Another folk remedy is planting along rows of annual flowers. It is believed that the sow thistle does not grow next to them. However, this theory has not yet been scientifically proven by anyone.

Simple and affordable means are the siderates. These include: nettle, lupine, alfalfa, peas, rye. After planting, you need to wait until the plants grow up, then cover with sheets of cardboard or film and leave in this state until spring. Plants are overheated, enriching the land, but the weed cannot grow under such conditions.


Lupine
Mechanical methods

It is also important to remember about mechanical methods fight against the scourge. These include digging the earth. It is carried out in the fall after the harvest has already been harvested. You need to dig deep enough to get the whole sow thistle root. The weed is removed by hand. After that, it can be used for compost.

After digging, you cannot loosen the ground. This is due to the fact that the weed, when removed, showered all around with seeds. If the soil is loosened, the seeds will go deeper and later germinate. Remaining on the surface, they simply freeze out within winter period.


You need to weed the garden regularly - every two weeks. The sow thistle roots are restored during this period of time. With regular weeding, the weed will be able to fully survive.

You can manually remove the sow thistle while it is still young. As soon as you notice its sprouts, you need to immediately get rid of them. This is not difficult, because young plant the roots are still tender and are located close to the surface.


They often use a fence to cover the beds. it special film, with slots for cultivated plants. The weeds under it do not have the opportunity to germinate. It is effective, however, before using it, it is still worthwhile to carry out at least a mechanical "cleaning" of weeds.

The harm and benefits of sow thistle
If you do not pay attention to the sow thistle and let him "live" his life, then very soon you can say goodbye to the harvest. Sow thistle can do a lot of harm. It quickly occupies large spaces, destroying garden crops on its way.

Naturally, for such a violent growth, the weed needs to be taken somewhere nutrients... He draws them from the soil. Thus, the land where the weed grows becomes impoverished very quickly.


However, what is a headache for the summer resident still has its value. Sow thistle possesses and useful properties... It turns out that he is a favorite delicacy of herbivores. It is often used as food for livestock.

Also, the plant is an excellent honey plant. Yellow flowers sow thistle is incredibly attractive to bees.

In addition to all of the above, the weed has another use. It is an ingredient in some dishes. Its leaves are soaked and used in salads and cabbage soup. Sow thistle roots can also be eaten, they taste like Jerusalem artichoke.

He received his application in medicine. The plant is known for its choleretic and laxative properties. Sow thistle is also used by nursing mothers for better breast milk production.

Sow thistle well stops bleeding, its crushed sheets are applied to the wound. And young shoots of the plant are part of the vitamin fees.


Sow-thistle soup
But no matter how useful this weed may have, it has no place in the garden next to other crops. Let these simple tips will help you to get rid of the uninvited "guest" in a timely manner, and a fruitful year for you!

Sow thistle - this is one of the most tenacious weeds, which is not so easy to get rid of. The question does not often arise - on what soils sow thistle grows, since it grows on any kind of soil, but prefers well-moistened black soil, from which it is difficult to remove it. Every owner of a summer cottage or garden knows not by hearsay what a sow thist is and how evil a weed is, because often you have to wage a long and painful struggle with him. We will get acquainted in more detail with the sow thistle and the varieties of this weed, and also learn how to destroy the sow thistle in the garden.

Description and types of sow thistle

- perennial, less often - annual herbaceous plant of the Astrov family, 0.5-1.7 m high. The sow thistle root system is powerful, densely branched in the horizontal direction. Sow thistle is widespread almost everywhere on the territory of the Eurasian continent. The shoots of a plant with a leafless upper part are both straight and branched, often covered with hairs. The sow thistle leaves are deep green in color with spiny-toothed edges, the lower row of leaves narrows and turns into a petiole. Flowers are small, ligulate, form baskets, surrounded by a wrapper different forms... Sow thist blooms from mid-summer to early autumn, after flowering, a fruit is formed on the plant - a brown achene with a soft white crest.

Important! Sow thist seeds, which have fallen deep into the soil, are able to maintain their germination capacity for more than 20 years, giving new plants a chance to grow when the slightest favorable conditions come.

Sow thistle or yellow - is a perennial with a height of 1.5-1.7 m. The length of the main taproot of a sow thistle can reach 3-4 m in length, and the lateral roots, growing in a horizontal direction, are about 1 meter long. The stalks of the sow thistle are naked, hollow, branching at the top, with pointed gray-green serrated leaves located on them.

Peduncles densely covered with spiny hairs. Flowers of bright yellow color represent a basket with a jug-like wrapper, which form a panicle-shaped inflorescence. The sow thistle flower looks like a dandelion flower; bees can often be seen on it, which use the plant as one of the best honey plants. Sow thistle often grows on empty fields, river banks and in vegetable gardens, existing measures to combat it are very time consuming, but we will talk about them a little later.

Sow thistle

Sow thistle is a herbaceous annual 0.4-1 m high with strongly branched hollow stems. The leaves are serrated with a pointed end and split-pinnate, softer to the touch compared to the leaves of the sow thistle. The leaves at the top of the shoots are sessile, and below they are located on a winged petiole. Baskets of bright yellow color are large, up to 35 mm in diameter. But, unlike the field, they do not form a very wide inflorescence. Sow thistle seeds - elongated Brown color with fluffy hairs. The plant can be found in ravines, near rivers, in gardens and vegetable gardens.

Did you know? Up to 130 kg of honey can be taken from 1 hectare of sow-thistle plantations.

Sow thistle is a herbaceous annual 0.7-1 m high with erect stems. The alternate hard leaves are whole, and slightly notched, and incised up to 15 cm long with sharp edges, on which there are thorns. The upper leaves sit on the shoots with stalk-embracing bases, the basal ones taper into winged petioles. The peduncle and the wrapper are covered with glandular hairs. With the autumn cooling, the stems and central veins of the leaves of the rough sow thistle become red-purple in color. The fruit is a smooth achene with a whitish tuft. Grows in vegetable gardens and orchards, in fields and along roads.

The benefits and harms of sow thistle in the garden

Faced with a sow thistle in their garden, everyone begins to think about how to remove a sow thistle, since the harm of this weed plant is enormous. Sow thistle is, first of all, an unwanted guest on personal plot, which grows rapidly and displaces any cultivated plant growing nearby, drawing moisture and nutrients from the soil. In addition to the death of garden plantings and the harvest, sow thistle greatly impoverishes the soil, therefore, at the slightest appearance of this weed, the gardener should decide how to get the sow thistle out of the garden, and do it immediately.

However, this weed is also beneficial - it is given to be eaten by domestic herbivores, from many vegetable crops pests such as aphids are often transferred to sow thistle, sow thistle tissues are rich in minerals, which will help enrich the soil when used as compost or mulch. In addition, young leaves are used for food - they make tea, salads or cabbage soup from them, and boiled roots replace Jerusalem artichoke. Traditional healers use decoctions and infusions of sow thistle in the treatment of certain diseases.

However, no matter what benefit this plant brings, it has no place in the personal plot, and the fight against sow thistle in the garden should not be postponed for a long time.

Important! Sow thistle contains poisonous substances; when working with this weed, people with allergic reactions should be careful.

How to deal with a thistle in the garden

Since the sow thistle reproduces both by seeds and vegetatively, the owners of personal plots have a very acute question of how to get the sow thistle out of the garden forever. An important fact is the persistent ability of the weed to sprout young shoots from each root of the damaged root system - this feature requires the organization of the fight against the weakening of the sow thistle roots. There are three main methods of how to get rid of sow thistle in the garden: mechanical, chemical and folk.

Mechanical weed removal

Mechanical removal of young sow thist bushes consists in carefully pulling it out of the soil, it is advisable to do this with wet soil or dig up the plant from the ground with a hoe in order to avoid breaking off and leaving the root in the soil. Adult powerful bushes and their root system need to be deeply dug, shake up the earth and extract the roots found, and a single removal will not be enough, and this process will need to be repeated after 2-3 weeks.

How to get rid of sow thistle with chemicals

The chemical industry has long taken care of the convenience of gardeners and gardeners by creating herbicides such as "Task", "Glyfovit", "Antiburian", "Lontrel", "Chistopol" and others. Usage chemicals in the fight against sow thistle, it should be carried out in strict compliance with the instructions for the drug and using the means individual protection... This method of control has a significant drawback - herbicides can have a detrimental effect on garden crops and contaminate the soil, which is recommended to be cultivated only after the complete disintegration of chemical compounds.

Traditional methods against sow thistle

Long experience in plant growing will tell you how to effectively deal with sow thistle using folk methods:

  • spot spraying of sow thistle with kerosene, which after processing will dry out and die, the main thing here is to prevent kerosene from getting on the soil and cultivated plants;
  • regular sub-root pruning of young sow-thistle shoots will weaken the plant, which will soon die off;
  • a good result is the cultivation of green manures, which nourish garden crops and weaken the roots of sow thistle;
  • if the sow thistle blooms, the base of the stem should be broken or cut to prevent the seeds from ripening and spreading.

This plant has established itself as one of the most vicious weeds, which is quite difficult to get rid of. The sow-thistle weed infests all types of crops; it is a very frequent and unwanted guest in gardens and orchards, parks and forests. Even cattle eats it reluctantly. However, it has a lot and positive properties. So, get acquainted: the sow thistle is a representative of the genus of the herbaceous family of Asteraceae or Compositae. Annual, biennial or perennial... It sometimes grows woody at the base. The sow thistle genus has about 80 species.

General description of sow thistle

The most common species of this weed are garden sow-thistle and field sow-thistle. It is also called milkweed, jaundice, bunny, milkweed, rabbit salad. Some types of thistle are also sometimes referred to as thistle. The most interesting thing is that this "scourge of the fields", for example, is cultivated in Indonesia.

Outwardly, the sow-thistle is a rather pretty yellow flower collected in a basket with oblong spiny leaves that have jagged edges. The sow thistle has a very powerful root system, extending 1-6 meters into the ground. It is simply impossible to completely uproot the thistle. And if we take into account that it reproduces by means of root suckers, then the conclusions can be drawn accordingly: this plant is really invincible.

There are several varieties of sow thistle.

Growing up in the beds, thistle thistle rapidly spreads in all directions over large areas. It is not without reason that it is found on all world continents. The type of soil, density and its other qualities do not matter for sow thistle - it takes root even where most other plants die.

He also does not care about climatic conditions - be it cold or heat. The invincible, ineradicable sow thistle safely infests the crops of Europe and Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Far East, Siberia and the Urals. It is very fertile: up to 6500 achenes are formed on one plant, carried by the wind. Moreover, seed germination occurs without a state of dormancy. Roots broken during soil cultivation with adventitious buds immediately give rise to new shoots.

Benefits of all types of sow thistle

  1. This evil weed, however, is an excellent honey plant. Bees willingly visit all kinds of sow thistle and collect up to 120 kg of nectar from 1 hectare of area. Sow honey is considered to be of the highest quality: it has a white or light yellow color, pleasant to the taste, aromatic. Basically, bees produce it from perennial sow thistle growing along the shores of lakes and rivers, as well as one- and two-year-old garden sow thistle. From mid-July to September, thistle thistle blooms. True, with the development of farming culture, the importance of sow thistle as a melliferous plant decreases.
  2. Sow thistle is widely used in cooking. Its young shoots contain milky juice. They have a delicate, pleasant, slightly bitter taste, so before use, the stems and leaves of the sow thistle are soaked for half an hour in a saline solution. The bitterness does not go away completely, but it only adds piquancy and pungency to thistle in salads. In addition, thistle is added to mashed potatoes, vinaigrette, cabbage soup, soups, pie fillings, omelettes. If the leaves of this weed are scalded, they, in the form of an infusion, increase milk flow in nursing mothers. Sow thistle leaves, collected in early summer, are harvested for the winter: dried, salted.
  3. Sow thistle is widely used in folk medicine: during flowering, the aerial part of it is harvested and dried in the shade, in a well-ventilated place. Such raw materials contain tannins, carotene (provitamin A) and a little rubber. Sow thistle is characterized by choleretic, laxative, lactogenic (lactogenic), hemostatic (especially with hemoptysis), anti-inflammatory properties. It also serves as an antihelminthic agent. Sow thistle milky juice has long been used for liver diseases, and the whole plant - for gout and hemorrhoids. Crushed fresh sow thistle leaves are applied to the bleeding wounds. Infusions and decoctions from it are able to improve metabolic processes, relieve headaches, help with neuroses, vascular diseases.
  4. Sow thistle helps with the vegetation of some cultivated plants. For example, if it grows on a strawberry bed, then the berries become more juicy and sweet. Sow thistle lures aphids from currant bushes. Read also the article: → "". Helps grow melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, pumpkins, corn. Do not forget: when collecting sow thistle, it is imperative to use gloves that will protect against thorns. After collecting sow thistle, wash your hands thoroughly, as its juice irritates the mucous membranes and eyes.

A plant called sow thistle is confused by many with an ordinary dandelion.

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How to deal with a thistle in the country

One of the most effective ways weed control is the cultivation of legumes, mustard, rapeseed, winter rye on the site. In addition, if you regularly - once every two weeks - mow the sow thistle, then its roots weaken significantly, and its development and reproduction is greatly slowed down.

You can sow peas in the spring on a littered area with a thistle-thistle. After harvesting the ripe pods, the pea lashes must be trampled along with the weeds, cover the area with several layers of newspapers and put various plant residues, tops collected from the entire area of ​​the vegetable garden and orchard. All this "good" on the newspaper and under it will quickly rot and thereby provide food for worms and beneficial bacteria.

Tip # 1. On a neglected area overgrown with sow thistle, you need to break and trample all the highest weeds, pressing them to the ground.

Thistle control is based on weakening its root system. Thus, the complete elimination of this weed can be achieved.

Often two methods of dealing with sow thistle are used:

  • Chemical based on the use of special drugs.
  • Mechanical, when only agricultural implements are used.

Chemical method of dealing with sow thistle

The main means that are used in this case are herbicides. They are very popular, but they have their drawbacks. In particular, they can be used on undeveloped plots of land - that is, on those on which there are no plantings yet. This is because herbicides are toxic. They will, of course, destroy the weed, but they will poison the soil. And at the same time everything useful plants that are planted on it.

Therefore, after treating the area with sow thistle with herbicides, allow them to weather out and only then plant crops on them. Moreover, when dealing with herbicides, precautions must be taken: when spraying, use gloves, glasses, and thick clothing.

Tip # 2. Popular folk remedy the fight against sow thistle - spraying it with kerosene, and it must be sprayed so as not to hurt useful plantings. This will quickly kill the thistle, and your vegetables will not suffer.

Mechanical methods of weed control

This includes the digging of land, which is carried out in the fall after the harvest. Moreover, you need to dig deep, trying to completely get the root of the weed. Once you've manually removed the weed along with the root, use it for compost.


But planting a number of siderates is a simple and affordable method. After planting green manures, which include rye, peas, nettles, alfalfa, lupines, you need to wait until they grow up, then cover them with foil or sheets of cardboard and leave in this form until spring. They perereut, enriching the land, and sow thistle will not be able to grow in such conditions.

Features of the field sow thistle

It is called yellow thistle or euphorbia. The places of its growth are moist soils, meadows, swamps. Sow thistle is a scientifically rooted perennial plant from the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. It has thorny leaves. Blooms from July to September. Flowers are golden yellow, similar to dandelion flowers (these plants have one family).

Due to the fact that the fruit is attached to the tuft (fly), it can be easily carried by the wind. Milky sap forms at the fracture. The main rhizome of the sow thistle is located at a depth of only 50 centimeters, and the processes extending from it are even less: they are 6-12 centimeters below the surface of the earth. However, the shoots of thin roots penetrate into a depth of 2 to 4 meters.

It follows from this that, by weeding our garden, we render a dubious service to the field thistle - it quickly reproduces by root suckers. The roots lying at a depth are not dangerous - from there they deliver food to the plant upstairs. By the way, this is even a plus of sow thistle: from the deep layers of the soil, it supplies up to the cultivated plants those substances that they lack in the arable layer.

A new autonomous plant can grow from a small root just 3 centimeters long. And the sow thistle roots are quite fragile.

Useful qualities of the field sow thistle and methods of dealing with it

  • Animals do not like this plant too much because of its thorniness. But insects love him. In particular, bees get nectar and pollen from the sow thistle.
  • He lures aphids away from cultivated plants.
  • It is enriched with minerals from the deep layers of the soil, therefore its grass as mulch or in compost enriches the soil with them.

The sow-thistle is considered the most harmful of all its fellows. The methods of dealing with it are as follows:

  • Removal by pruning at the germination stage (when 1-2 leaves appear) or at the rosette stage (when 2-4 leaves appear). In this case, the plane cutter should not be deeply buried so as not to touch the roots, otherwise new plants will begin to develop. If the ground is soft, you can pull out the sow thistle along with the root. If, nevertheless, the root system is disturbed, and new plants hatch, you need to prune them again in the early stages. This will lead to the fact that the rhizomes dry out and will not produce new plants. Pruning should be started in spring.
  • If the sow thistle has grown, threw buds or bloomed, then you must not let him seed. To this end, break the stem or cut it with a flat cutter at the base and use it as mulch or throw it into compost.
  • Using mulch is the easiest way. If a sow thistle or other weed breaks through the mulch, you need to pick it up and also use it as mulch or compost.
  • From time to time on the beds you need to sow green manure. This heals the soil and gets rid of many weeds.

Features of the sow thistle

Sow thistle - a malicious enemy of seedlings of vegetables and flowers

Unlike the field sow thistle, the garden sow thistle is an annual plant. It is less prickly and lower. Its height is from 30 centimeters to 1 meter. The flowers are light yellow and bloom from June to September. In many ways, its characteristics are similar to those that are inherent in the field thistle thistle. The only difference is that the sow thistle is a favorite treat for livestock.

The chemical composition of sow thistle

Scientists have thistles, like others poisonous plants with beneficial properties, arouses keen interest. It has not yet been studied chemical composition... However, it is surely known that this weed plant contains a lot of substances useful to humans.

Useful material Action on humans
Carotene
  • immunostimulant and antioxidant;
  • regulator of metabolism and redox reactions;
  • protein synthesis stimulator;
  • strengthens hair, nails, bones;
  • slows down the aging of the body.
Vitamin C
  • regulates correct work endocrine and immune systems;
  • promotes hematopoiesis, strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
  • prevents cancer, fights free radicals;
  • initiates mental alertness and endurance;
  • regulates the work of the nervous system.
Fixed oils
  • accelerate the renewal and regeneration of body cells;
  • supply energy and activate metabolic processes;
  • remove harmful substances and cleanse the blood;
  • accelerate wound healing and tissue repair.
Saponins and bitterness
  • strengthen the protective reserves of the body;
  • improve digestion and stimulate appetite;
  • relieve fatigue and nervous tension.
Wine acid
  • helps to lose weight by speeding up metabolic processes;
  • relieves colic and pain;
  • has a weak diuretic and laxative effect;
  • eliminates heartburn and hangover.
Choline
  • reduces bad insulin levels;
  • promotes the work of the gallbladder and liver;
  • helps the absorption of fats from food;
  • accelerates cell renewal, promotes the prolongation of youth;
  • stimulates the work of the heart and all muscles;
  • helps to resist stress and supports the nervous system.
Inulin
  • promotes the regulation of carbohydrate-fat metabolism;
  • regulates the absorption of minerals and vitamins from food;
  • strengthens the immune system and normalizes the microflora of internal organs;
  • normalizes the digestive tract;
  • helps to lower blood sugar.
Alkaloids
  • effectively relieve any pain;
  • reduce blood pressure and fever;
  • prevent the emergence and development of tumors;
  • strengthen the walls of blood vessels, eliminate bleeding;
  • inhibit inflammation, help fast healing.

Yellow thistle, which is most common

Heading "Question-answer"

Question from gardeners: Is it possible to grow a sow thistle and how is it useful?

Sow thistle is considered a malicious weed that is difficult to eradicate from gardens and fields. Its chemical composition has not been adequately studied. This plant is used in medicine and cooking. For the cultivation of thistle, the most useless for Agriculture lands - wastelands, forest clearings, ravines, mountain slopes. Growing and producing large amounts of greens will be everywhere. However, one must still take into account the lack of knowledge about this plant and approach the issue of its cultivation with caution.